1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to devices for hanging wallpaper and decorative wall borders. More particularly, the invention relates to a border retainer for retaining a decorative wall border segment on a wall after the border segment is pasted on the wall and before the application paste dries, to prevent the applied border segment from inadvertently curling up and detaching from the wall as the border segment is temporarily released in preparation for pasting an overlapping border segment on the wall. In a preferred embodiment, the border retainer of this invention is characterized by a retainer body having an attachment panel typically fitted with a handle. A pair of wall insertion spikes extends from fixed or removable attachment to the attachment panel for insertion in the wall and removably attaching the retainer body to the wall, and a bottom panel fitted with a retainer flange extends from the attachment panel. As the border segment is applied to the wall typically beginning at one end and progressing to the opposite, extending end of the border segment, the extending end portion of the border segment initially remains unpasted to the wall. The retainer body is attached to the wall, and the free extending end portion of the border segment is rested on the bottom panel and retained by the retainer flange of the retainer body. The retainer flange prevents the border segment from inadvertently curling up and detaching from the wall as the person hanging the border temporarily releases the border segment typically to reposition a ladder, equipment or furniture in preparation for pasting an overlapping, second border segment of the border on the wall. The extending end portion of the border segment is pasted to the wall and the overlapping border segment covers the small openings in the wall caused the wall insertion spikes of the border retainer after the border retainer is removed from the wall. In another embodiment of the invention, at least one retainer clip is provided on the retainer body instead of or in addition to the retainer flange for securing the extending end portion of the border segment. In still another embodiment, the retainer flange is semicircular and extends directly from the attachment panel.
Decorative wall borders are commonly applied to interior walls of homes and businesses typically beneath the ceiling-wall juncture to enhance the aesthetic appearance of the home or business interior. Typically, the packaged border is unwound from a roll or spool and cut into multiple border segments, each of which is applied to the wall typically beginning at one end and progressing to the extending end of the border segment, by initially wetting the attachment surface of the segment to activate the paste on the surface and then pressing the wetted attachment surface against the wall. An adjacent border segment is in like manner applied to the wall in overlapping relationship to the first border segment. Because the applied border segment, previously wound on the spool or roll, has a strong tendency to curl up before the paste dries, the border seat typically becomes detached from the wall under circumstances in which it is necessary for the person hanging the border to temporarily release the border segment typically in order to reposition a ladder, equipment or furniture and facilitate continued application of the border. Accordingly, a device is needed for temporarily retaining the border segment on a wall, to prevent the applied border segment from inadvertently curling up and detaching from the wall as the border hanger deems it necessary to temporarily release the border segment before the border application paste dries during the border-hanging operation.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Various devices for facilitating the application of siding, wallpaper or borders to walls, are known in the art. One of these devices is the xe2x80x9cBuilding Siding Applicator Toolxe2x80x9d, disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,490,152, dated Jan. 20, 1970, to Printz. The Printz tool is characterized by a handle having a lower portion adapted to be removably clam to the lower edge of a siding strip which has been applied to the exterior surface of a wall. An upper portion of the handle has an upwardly-opening socket for receiving the lower edge of a second siding strip and positioning openings the second siding strip above and in overlapping relationship with respect to the first siding strip as the second siding strip is applied to the wall.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,862,494, dated Jan. 28, 1975, to Andersson, discloses a xe2x80x9cHand Tool for Clean Cutting of Fit-Up Wallpapers, Fitted Carpets and the Likexe2x80x9d. The Andersson tool is characterized by a wallpaper trimming guide having horizontal and vertical flanges joined at a corner for guiding a trimming knife or the like. The free edge of the horizontal flange has a vertical handle flange disposed at a right angle thereto and provided with a hand-grip slot adjacent to a similar slot in the horizontal flange to define a secure hand grip.
A xe2x80x9cPaperhanging Hand Tool and Methodxe2x80x9d is detailed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,072,547, dated Feb. 7,1978, to Pavnica, according to which method a T-shaped tool including an elongated handle and a perpendicular crosspiece support a draped-over roll of wallpaper which is cut to wall height with its adhesive surfaces facing outwardly. A portion of the wallpaper hangs down from the crosspiece on one side of the tool for application to the lower portion of the wall surface. The remaining portion of the roll hangs down on the opposite side of the tool with its adhesive surface facing the workperson, who carries the tool by grasping the lower end of the handle. The crosspiece is pushed upwardly against the wallpaper to progressively apply the wallpaper to the wall from the floor to the ceiling.
A xe2x80x9cPaper Hanging Trimming Toolxe2x80x9d is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,077,124, dated Mar. 7, 1978, to Christmann. The Christmann tool is used in the application of wallpaper to walls and is characterized by a frame shaped like an isosceles triangle, with a rotatable knife blade provided at each of the two base apices of the frame. The tip apex of the frame is rounded to facilitate folding the wallpaper into a corner between joining walls, and the edges adjacent to the tip apex are rounded to serve as guides for the respective knife blades as the blades are used to cut the wallpaper.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,490,198, dated Dec. 25, 1984, to Mitchell, describes a xe2x80x9cMethod of Hanging Wallpaperxe2x80x9d, wherein a wallpaper hanging tool includes a guide plate assembly having a pair of paper clamps on one side, and an elongated edge which serves as a guide over which wallpaper is drawn and then clamped. A handle is centrally attached to the guide plate assembly, and wallpaper held by the clamps is positioned at the ceiling edge of a wall and then cut at the ceiling edge and smoothed downward.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,775,633, dated Jul. 7, 1998, to Zane, details a xe2x80x9cWallaper Border Roll Holderxe2x80x9d for holding wallpaper border material at a ceiling-wall juncture during application of the border to a wall. The tool includes a handle, a rotatable shaft and a shelf provided on the shaft for supporting a roll of the border material. A fixed bottom spike and a spring-loaded top spike are provided on opposite ends of the shaft for securing the shaft to the wall and ceiling, respectively. The border roll, supported on the shelf, rotates with the shaft and shelf as the border is dispensed from the roll and applied to the wall.
An object of the present invention is to provide a border retainer for preventing inadvertent curling and detachment of a freshly-applied decorative wall border segment from a wall under circumstances in which it is necessary for a person hanging the border to temporarily release the border segment before the border application paste dries during the border-hanging operation.
Another object of the invention is to provide a border retainer for retaining the free extending end portion of a decorative wall border segment after the border segment is applied to a wall and before the border application paste dries, to prevent the applied border segment from inadvertently curling up and detaching from the wall while the person hanging the border temporarily releases the border segment typically in order to reposition a ladder, equipment or furniture preparatory to pasting a second border segment in overlapping relationship to the first border segment on the wall.
Still another object of the invention is to provide a border retainer characterized by a retainer body having multiple wall insertion spikes for removable insertion in a wall and removably securing the retainer body to the wall, and a retaining mechanism provided on the retainer body for engaging the free extending end portion of a decorative wall border segment applied to a wall in order to retain and prevent inadvertent curling and detachment of the border segment from the wall as the freshly-applied border segment is temporarily released during the border-hanging operation.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide a border retainer characterized by a retainer body having multiple wall insertion spikes for removably securing the retainer body to a wall and a retainer flange provided on the retainer body for engaging the free extending end portion of a decorative wall border segment after the border segment is applied to the wall, in order to prevent the border segment from inadvertently curling up and detaching from the wall as the border segment is temporarily released before the border application paste dries.
A still further object of the invention is to provide a border retainer characterized by a retainer body having multiple wall insertion spikes for removably securing the retainer body to a wall and at least one retainer clip provided on the retainer body for engaging the free end portion of a decorative wall border segment after the border segment is applied to a wall, to prevent the border segment from inadvertently curling up and detaching from the wall as the border segment is temporarily released before the border application paste dries.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide a border retainer characterized by a retainer body having an attachment panel; multiple wall insertion spikes removably or fixedly mounted on the attachment panel for insertion in a wall and removably attaching the retainer body to the wall; a bottom panel extending in substantially perpendicular relationship from the attachment panel; a retainer flange extending from the bottom panel or a retainer clip or clips provided on the retainer body for temporarily receiving and retaining the free end portion of a decorative wall border segment after application of the border segment to the wall; and a handle fitted on the attachment panel.
A still further object of the invention is to provide a border retainer characterized by a retainer body having an attachment panel; multiple wall insertion spikes removably or fixedly mounted on the attachment panel for insertion in a wall and removably attaching the retainer body to the wall; a curved retainer flange extending from the attachment panel for temporarily receiving and retaining the free end portion of a decorative wall border segment after the border segment is applied to the wall; and a handle fitted on the attachment panel.
These and other objects of the invention are provided in a border retainer for retaining a free end portion of a decorative wall border segment after the border segment is applied to a wall and before the border application paste dries, to prevent the applied border segment from inadvertently curling up and detaching from the wall typically while a ladder, equipment or furniture is repositioned preparatory to pasting an overlapping border segment on the wall. In a preferred embodiment, the border retainer is characterized by a retainer body having an attachment panel typically fitted with a handle, a bottom panel extending from the attachment panel and a curved retainer flange extending from the bottom panel. A pair of wall insertion spikes extends from fixed or removable attachment to a common surface of the attachment panel for insertion in the wall and removably attaching the retainer body to the wall with the retainer flange disposed in spaced-apart relationship to the wall. When it becomes necessary for the person hanging the border to release the border segment and descend a ladder to facilitate repositioning the ladder or other equipment or furniture, for example, the extending free end portion of the border segment, unpasted to the wall, is rested on the bottom panel and retained by the retainer flange, which prevents the border segment from curling up and detaching from the wall. After the border retainer is removed from the wall, the extending end portion of the border segment is pasted to the wall and a second border segment is typically pasted to the wall in overlapping relationship to the extending end portion of the first border segment. The overlapping border segment covers the small openings the wall caused by the wall insertion spikes of the border retainer. In another embodiment of the invention, at least one retainer clip is provided on the retainer body instead of or in addition to the retainer flange for holding the free extending end portion of the border segment. In still another embodiment, the retainer flange is semicircular and extends directly from the attachment panel.